Clasp primarily for bracelets or the like



1970 JEAN-FRANCOIS G. A. LIMAGE 3,537,154

CLASP PRIMARILY FQR BRACELETS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov- 26, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.2

FIG. 4

WWW I aim. wJ L W Nov. 3, 1970 JEAN-FRANCOIS a. A. LIMAGE 3,537,154-

CLASP PRIMARILY FOR BRACELETS OR THE LIKE s Sheets-Shet, 2

Filed Nov. 26. 1968 7 w. n I 1 I pmw ro \6 W a I I 9 p In, d 6 2 l5 s W s I w W w Q m l6 0 6 M 8 1 m m 3 6 7 8 m m G F .F c

1 JEAN-FRANCOIS e. A. LIMAGE 3,537,154"

CLASP PRIMARILY FOR BRACELETS OR T H E LIKE Filed Nov. 26 1968 r 3 Sheets-Sheet .7

Fig9

s3 62 so ao p9 v R910 70 s1. s1

' Fig12 81 so 82 I I I 63 as as 87 as United States Patent O CLASP PRIMARILY FOR BRACELETS OR THE LIKE Jean-Francois G. A. Limage, Annemasse, Haute-Savoie,

France, assignor to Gay Freres, Annemasse, Haute- Savoie, France, a societe a responsabilite limitee Filed Nov. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 778,971 Claims priority, application France, Nov. 12, 1968, 108,274; Nov. '28, 1967, 130,080 Int. Cl. A441) 13/02 US. Cl. 24-239 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in clasps for bracelets or the like. The clasp comprises a slide which is guided and displaceable in a sleeve in either of two opposed directions to expose the ends for attachment to a bracelet or the like so that the clasp is completely detachable from the bracelet, spring means being provided to restore the slide to a central position or snap it into its various open or closed positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Clasps such as are generally used for bracelets, chains or the like are generally constructed so as to be secured in a permanent or semi-permanent fashion to one end of a bracelet or chain and to be detachably attached to the other end of the bracelet or chain. This has the disadvantage that it does not allow the clasp to be interchanged between a number of bracelets or chains as it cannot be detached therefrom. Considerable stocks must therefore be held to cover the range of different models. Moreover, the sleeve portion of such clasps is generally tubular in shape and, because one end of the slide or bolt is permanently fixed to one end of the bracelet, chain or the like, this slide or bolt is frequently not of the right size or shape to suit the bracelet or chain.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved clasp for bracelets or the like which shall not be subject to the disadvantages referred to above.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved clasp for bracelets or the like which clasp is capable of being readily attached to and detached from a bracelet, chain or the like.

According to the present invention a clasp for bracelets or the like comprises a channel member having two pins attached thereto and extending into the channel member, a slide mounted in the channel member with slots engaged by said pins whereby the slide is guided and displaceable within the channel member from a closed position to either one of two open positions, hook shaped ends formed on said slide for attachment to said bracelet and arranged to be closed by the channel member when the slide is in its closed position and one to be open when the slide is in one of its open positions and the other to be open when the slide is in the other of its open positions and spring means operable in cooperation with said pins to oppose displacement of said slide from the central position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a plan, partially in section, of a clasp conforming to the invention, shown closed;

"Ice

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the clasp shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same clasp, shown open;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections of variants of the clasp conforming to the invention;

FIG. 8 shows the same clasp as in FIG. 7, when opened;

FIG. 9 is a plan, partly in section, of another variant of the clasp conforming to the invention, shown closed; and

FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are plans, partly in longitudinal section, of further variants of the clasp conforming to the invention.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the clasp comprises a sleeve or channel member 1, substantially U-shaped in cross-section, as shown by the turned-over section S-S, within which moves a slide 2, formed at opposed ends with hooks 3 and 3 which enable the ends of a bracelet, chain or the like (not shown) to be secured. This slide 2 is held, guided and limited in its sliding action by two pins 6 and 6' fixed to the sleeve 1 and passing through two corresponding openings, 7 and 7' in the slide. The slide contains a recess 8, to take a fiat spring 9 having an olfset portion 10 which snaps home round a central pin 11 fixed to the slide 2 and having two ends 12 and 12 which are clipped round the two pins 6 and 6, fixed to the sleeve 1.

When the slide 2 is pulled out, for example in the direction of the arrow 16, to enable the hook 3 to be exposed and opened as seen in FIG. 3, the pin 11, to enable this to be done, must overcome the retaining power of the spring 9, which, being fixed to the pins 6 and 6', is stationary in relation to the sleeve 1. Once the hook 3 is exposed, it can be introduced into the appropriate end of a bracelet, chain or the like. The hooks 3 and 3 should preferably be similar to the links of which the chain is formed and should contain olfsets at 13 and 13', which, in conjunction with similar offsets in the said links, enable such chains to be brought more efiectively into harmony with the clasp.

With the slide 2 closed round the chain or the like, it has only to be restored to its closed position, in which the spring snaps into place over the pin 11 and thus keeps the clasp closed.

Similarly the slide 2 can be moved in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 16, enabling the hook 3' to be exposed and thus receive the other end of the chain or the like.

In FIG. 4, the clasp shown is similar to the one already described but in this case, the spring 20 has no offset to snap home round the pin 21 fixed to the slide 2. The latter is held in its mid-position solely by the elasticity of the spring 20 fixed to the pins 6 and 6', this arrangement enabling the two hooks 3 and 3 to be restored by spring action to the closed position, irrespective of which one has been opened.

In FIG. 5, the slide 2 and the pins 6 and 6 are similar to those in FIGS. 1 to 4, except that, contrary to the arrangements shown therein, the spring 29 is anchored to the slide 2, being now pinched round a pin 31, fixed to the latter, and acts on the pins 6 and 6 by means of its ends 32 and 33, the first of which provides a snap action for the closing of the slide 2 and the opening of the hook 3, while the second supplies a spring action for restoring the clasp to the closed position when the hook 3' is opened.

FIG. 6 ditfers from the previous illustration only in 7 that the spring 39, pinched round the pin 31 fixed to the slide 2, has two ditferent protruding parts, 42 and 43, at its ends, which protuberances, in conjunction with the pins 6 and 6 fixed to the sleeve 1, enable the clasp to be snapped into the closed position and there held by spring action, diflfering degrees of force being needed to expose one or other of the hooks, of which the one numbered 3 requires more force to expose and can be firmly fixed to the end of a chain or the like. The opposite end is then slipped over the more easily opened hook 3.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, instead of flat springs being used for snapping the slide 2 into place and restoring it, this is done with the aid of two coil springs 49 and 49', housed in the recess 8 in the slide, these being compressed respectively between the pins 6 and 6' at one end and the pins 51 and 52 at the other, pin 51 being fixed to the sleeve 53 while pin 52 is fixed to the slide 2.

When the clasp is opened by movement of the slide in the direction of the arrow 16, so as to expose the book 3, the pin 52 fixed to the slide 2 compresses the spring 49 against the pin 6 fixed to the sleeve, whereas the other spring 49', enclosed between the pins 6' and 51, which are both fixed to the sleeve, remains unstressed. When the force actingon the slide in the direction of the arrow 16 ceases to be exerted, the spring 49 restores the latter to the position in which the clasp is closed, the slide being firmly held in that position by the combined action of both springs.

Conversely, should the slide be moved the opposite direction to the arrow 16, it is the spring 49' which is compressed between the pins 51 and 6, while the spring 49 remains out of action between the other pins 6 and 52.

A transverse recess 56, in the slide provides clearance for the pin 51 during movement of the slide.

FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 ditfer from FIGS. 2, 4, 6, and 7 respectively only in that the sleeve 7 of the clasp consists of a rectangular-sectioned tube and that the pins are set at right angles to the top and bottom faces of the sleeve, instead of parallel to them, and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal centre line of the sleeve.

In FIG. 9, the clasp comprises a rectangular-sectioned tube 60, as shown by the turned-over section V--V, this sleeve containing the sliding member 61, which is re- .tained and guided in its sliding action by two pins 63 and 65 anchored to the sleeve 60 and passing through the openings 66 and 67 in the slide 61. The flat spring 62 housed in the slide has an ofiset portion 68 clipped round the pin 64 fixed to the slide, the two ends 69 and 69 of the spring being closed round the pins 63 and 65.

In FIG. 10, the clasp shown is identical to the one in FIG. 1, but the spring-70 has no ofiset portion clipped round the pin 64 fixed to the slide 61. The latter is thus held in its mid-portion by the elasticity of the spring 70, which is anchored to the pins 63 and 65.

In FIG. 11, the sleeve tube 60, Slide 61 and pins 63 and 65 are similar to those in FIGS. 9 and 10, but here the spring 75 is anchored to the slide 61, being pinched round the pin 64, and'acts on the pins 63 and 65 by means of two difierent protuberances 76 and 77, which enable the slide to be snapped into and held by spring action in the closed position.

The design shown in FIG. 12 differs from that in FIG. 11 only in that the spring 80, pinched round the pin 64, has two ends 81 and 82 acting on the pins 63 and 65, the former enabling the slide to be snapped shut and the latter providing spring action to restore the clasp to the closed position when the hook 83 is open.

In FIG. 13, the slide is restored by two coil springs, 86 and 87, compressed respectively between the pins 63 and 65 at one end and the pins 88 and 89 at the other, the former fixed to the sleeve tube 60 and the latter to the slide 61.

In one form of the invention, not shown in the drawings, the various parts of the clasp are curved, so that they may fit more closely to the shapes for which the bracelets, chains or the like closed by them are intended.

Again, the clasp can serve as an identity disc, the sleeve having a wide top face on which numerous details can be inscribed.

The scope of the invention includes all manner of shapes, sizes, dimensions and finishes for the various component parts of the clasp, which parts may be made from any materials or combinations of materials and may be subjected to any treatment.

Furthermore, this clasp may be used in any manner, for bracelets, necklets or the like of any kind, and may incorporate any decorative designs, inscriptions, initials and so forth, without thereby going beyond the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A clasp for bracelets or the like comprising a channel member having two pins attached thereto and extending into the channel member, a slide mounted in the channel member with slots engaged by said pins whereby the slide is guided and displaceable within the channel member from a closed position to either one of two open positions, hook shaped ends formed on said slide for attachment to said bracelet and arranged to be closed by the channel member when the slide is in its closed position and one to be open when the slide is in one of its open positions and the other to be open when the slide is in the other of its open positions and spring means operable in cooperation with said pins to oppose displacement of said slide from the central position.

2. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the channel member is of substantially U-section.

3. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the channel member is tubular.

4. A clasp according to claim 3 in which the channel member is of rectangular cross-section.

5. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the slide is formed with a longitudinal recess in which the spring means is located.

6. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the pins extend normal to the direction of length of the channel member and parallel to opposed top and bottom faces thereof.

7. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the spring means comprises a flat spring.

8. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the spring means comprises a coil spring.

9. A clasp according to claim 1 in which a third pin is secured to the slide and the spring means comprises a flat spring anchored to said two pins and in engagement with said third pin to provide a snap action efiect upon displacement of the slide between its various positions.

10. A clasp according to claim 1 in which a third pin is secured to the slide and the spring means comprises a flat spring anchored to said pin and in engagement with said two pins to provide a snap action effect upon displacement of the slide between the various positions.

11. A clasp according to claim 1 in which a third pin is fixed to the slide and the spring means is a flat spring engaged with said third pin and shaped at its two ends to engage said two pins, one end being shaped to engage one of said two pins to provide a snap action efiect and the other end being shaped to engage the other of said two pins to oppose displacement of the slide in one direction from the central position and continuously urge it towards the central position when displaced in said one direction.

12. A clasp according to claim 1 inwhich the spring means is arranged to exert a differential efifect on said two pins whereby the force required to displace the slide from the central position is greater than that required for a corresponding displacement in the opposite direction.

13. A clasp according to claim 1 in which a third pin is attached to the channel member, a fourth pin is at- 14. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the hook 5 shaped ends are shaped to correspond to the shape of the links of the bracelet to which they are to be attached.

15. A clasp according to claim 1 in which the channel member and the slide are curved.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,015,616 9/1935 Clark 24239 2,449,273 9/ 1948 Bisso 63-5 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,084,836 7/ 1954 France.

21,867 1905 Great Britain. 548,132 9/ 1956 Italy.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner. 

